Working Families Demand High Standards for NAFTA Renegotiation

May 18, 2017

Statement by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka on the Trump administration’s formal notification to Congress of its intent to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement:

The administration’s formal announcement that it intends to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement offers potential for progress, but a good outcome is far from guaranteed. While the president has called NAFTA the worst trade deal in history, his administration has given conflicting signals as to its priorities, raising the prospect that some of NAFTA’s most problematic elements could remain intact.

Working people have set a high standard for the deep reforms we are seeking in new trade deals and policies: we must elevate and effectively enforce workers’ rights and environmental standards, eliminate excessive corporate privileges, prioritize good jobs and safeguard democracy. This is the standard we will use to judge any renegotiation. The labor movement has been working to reform America’s flawed trade policies for more than a quarter-century, and we will continue to fight to fix a trade deal that has wreaked havoc on working families across North America.

Contact: Josh Goldstein (202) 637-5018

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